Downhole makeup tool for threaded tubulars

Abstract

A downhole tool for making up threaded connections between lower and upper tubulars within a well bore includes a lower anchoring member, an upper anchoring member, and a drive member including a movable piston assembly. A plurality of straight splines on the piston assembly and mating splines on a housing rotatable with the lower anchoring member allow axial movement while preventing rotational movement of the piston assembly with respect to the lower anchoring member during the tool driving stroke. The helical drive component on the piston assembly and a mating driven component rotatable with the upper anchoring member cooperate to rotate the upper anchoring member and thus the upper tubular to make up the downhole threaded connection. According to the method of the present invention, the upper and lower anchoring members are each secured to a respective tubular, and fluid pressure is increased to drive the piston assembly downward, thereby rotating the upper tubular. A torque sub may be provided including strain gauges for measuring makeup torque And for transmitting representative signals to the surface during the makeup operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A downhole tool for making up a threaded connection between a lower tubular positioned within a well bore and an upper tubular positioned within the wellbore, the downhole adapter to be suspended within the well bore from a work string extending to the surface, the downhole tool comprising: a lower anchoring member having a lower connector for selective engagement with the lower tubular;   an upper anchoring member having an upper connector for selective engagement with the upper tubular;   a drive member positioned axially between the lower anchoring member and the upper anchoring member, the drive member including a piston assembly movably responsive to fluid pressure within the work string;   a guide in engagement with the lower anchoring member and the piston assembly for permitting axial movement while preventing rotational movement of the piston assembly with respect to the lower anchoring member;   a helical drive component on the piston assembly; and   a mating driven component rotatable with the upper anchoring member and cooperating with the helical drive component to rotate the upper anchoring member and the upper tubular with respect to the lower anchoring member and the lower tubular to make up the downhole threaded connection.   
     
     
       2. The downhole tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the guide comprises: a plurality of straight splines on the piston assembly each substantially parallel to a longitudinal tool central axis; and   a plurality of mating straight splines on a housing rotatable with the lower anchoring member.   
     
     
       3. The downhole tool as defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of straight splines on the piston assembly are provided on an internal lower surface of the piston assembly. 
     
     
       4. The downhole makeup tool as defined in claim 1, wherein: the helical drive component comprises a plurality of helical splines on the piston assembly; and   the mating driven component comprise a plurality of mating helical splines.   
     
     
       5. The downhole tool as defined in claim 4, wherein: the plurality of helical splines on the piston assembly are positioned on an exterior surface of the piston assembly; and   the mating driven component includes a housing radially exterior of the piston assembly and having the mating helical splines on an interior surface thereof.   
     
     
       6. The downhole tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a clutch for rotatably securing the piston assembly to the lower anchoring member while the piston assembly moves downward during a tool driving stroke, while permitting rotation of the piston assembly relative to the lower anchoring member during the upward return stroke of the piston assembly.   
     
     
       7. The downhole tool as defined in claim 6, further comprising: another clutch for rotatably securing the upper anchoring member relative to the lower anchoring member during the upward return stroke of the piston assembly, while permitting rotation of the upper anchoring member relative to the lower anchoring member during the tool driving stroke.   
     
     
       8. The downhole tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: upper and lower teeth for mating engagement to transmit torque between respective upper and lower threadably connected housings.   
     
     
       9. The downhole tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a torque sub for generating signals indicative of the makeup torque applied to the connection and for transmitting torque representative signals to the surface during makeup of the connection.   
     
     
       10. A downhole tool as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the upper and lower anchoring members includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slips for engaging a respective tubular, each of the slips being movable radially outwardly in response to fluid pressure within the work string.